WHEN WE WORK, GOD WORKS

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   Question #1:  Do you any expectations of God?

Answer:  Most of us would reply:  “Yes.  In fact, I have many expectations of Him.”

 

B.   Question #2:  Do any of your expectations fail to come to pass?

Answer:  Most of us would reply:  “Yes.  Several do not come to pass.”

 

C.   Question #3:  Who do you hold responsible for your failed expectations?

Answer:  Most of us would be slow to answer this question.  We do not want to be the one responsible for blaming God.  Yet, we sometimes believe God is not responding to our expectations the way He should.

 

D.   Question #4:  Have we done what we need to do to bring our expectations of God to fruition in our lives?

 

E.   Let’s investigate this thought a little further.  We have entitled this lesson:  “When We Work; God Works.”

 

I.             PRAYER

 

A.   There are times when we go to God in prayer desiring certain things of Him.  We are often frustrated because we do not receive those things.

 

B.   God has told us to ask in order to receive (Matt. 7:11).

 

C.   Prayer is not just an “ask and get” activity.

1.    Our lives need to be lived properly.

a.    The prayer of a righteous man availeth much (Ja. 5:16).

b.    Proverbs 15:29

 

The Lord is far from the wicked:  but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

 

2.    We may have to ask numerous times (Ex., The Parable of the Friend at Midnight, Luke 11:5-9).

a.    A friend who is traveling arrives at his friend’s house at midnight.

b.    He wants to feed his guest, but he has no bread.

c.    He goes to his neighbor, saying:  “Friend, lend me three loaves.”

d.    His neighbor responds:  “Trouble me not:  the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.”

e.    Luke 11:8

 

I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

 

1)    The word “importunity” means “prudence, shamelessness.”

2)    It involves the idea of his continual pleading for bread. 

f.     Now read Luke 11:9.

 

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you;  seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

 

II.           CHURCH GROWTH

 

A.   We often look at the church and see our numbers dwindling.  We make comments like:  “I sure hope God helps us to grow.”  Six months from now, we are still dwindling.  Our expectations of God are not coming to pass.

 

B.   God is the one responsible for increase (1 Cor. 3:6-7).

 

C.   God, however, doesn’t just cause individuals to move into our community or bring Navy ships into the harbor.

1.    There’s a little activity called sowing that Christians are responsible for doing.

a.    It was Paul who said:  “I have planted…” (1 Cor. 3:6).

b.    “Another parable put he forth unto them, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field” (Matt. 13:24).

2.    If we will work sowing the seed, the Lord will bring forth the increase.

a.    “For we are labourers together with God…” (1 Cor. 3:9).

b.    Psalm 126:5-6

 

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.  He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

 

III.         TRANSFORMATION

 

A.   We often long to become “better” Christians.  We ask God to make us holy, to enable us to be bold, or to be more forgiving.  In essence, we want to be transformed.

 

B.   We often hope something magical, miraculous, or providential will cause us to change our hearts and change our lives.

 

C.   Transformation happens, however, when we take the inspired Word of God and put it to work in our lives.

1.    Romans 12:2

 

And be not conformed to this world:  but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.

 

a.    There must be the “renewing” of our minds.  The word “renew” means “renovation” or “a complete change for the better.”

b.    This is done through the study and application of God’s Word to our lives.

2.    Reading, studying, and meditating upon God’s Word engages the mind.

a.    The mind is introduced to concepts that are foreign to the carnal mind (Gal. 5:17).

 

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh:  and these are contrary one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

 

b.    If these revelations are put in practice in our lives, our lives are changed (1 Tim. 4:15).

 

Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear unto all.

 

1)    Idol worshipers become worshipers of God (1 Thess. 1:9).

2)    Liars become proclaimers of truth (Eph. 4:25)

3)    Thieves become workers with their hands (Eph. 4:28).

4)    The selfish become selfless (2 Cor. 5:15).

5)    Covetous people become content (Heb. 13:5).

6)    The immoral become righteous and godly (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

7)    The proud and haughty become meek and lowly (1 Pet. 5:5-6).

3.    In time, God chisels the excess from our lives and carves us into the image of His precious Son.

 

IV.         GIVING

 

A.   We know the Scriptures promise that if we give, the Lord will provide in return (Prov. 3:9-10).

 

Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of thine increase:  so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

 

B.   We have given, but we have not experienced the “plenty” Solomon mentions in Proverbs 3:9.

 

C.   Three requirements to our giving.

1.    With the firstfruits (Prov. 3:9)

 

…with the firstfruts of thine increase.

 

a.    Crops could often be harvested two or three times, especially if they were being picked by hand.

b.    The farmer labored hard and waited long for the crops to produce.

c.    The first yields that came in, however, were not his.  They belonged to the Lord.

d.    NOTE:  We do not give God our left-overs, our spare change.  When we give, we need to make God and His kingdom our top priority. Giving to God comes before house, car, food, healthcare, and clothes.

2.    With a positive attitude (2 Cor. 9:7)

 

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity:  for God loveth a cheerful giver.

 

a.    Do not give grudgingly, that is, with sadness, heaviness, or sorrow.

b.    Do not give out of necessity, that is, out of sheer sense of duty and obligation.

c.    Give with cheerfulness.

3.    With abundance (2 Cor. 9:6)

 

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

 

V.           FAITH

 

A.   For some reason, man has tried to make faith a very simple thing.  “Just have faith.”  Just believe.”  So we do, and we think that we are going to get.

 

B.   Faith is essential.  The mind must believe, but the faith of the mind is supposed to engage the rest of our body to work and labor and toil.

 

1.    Nehemiah believed the Jews could rebuild the walls of the city of Jersualem.  However, they were finished in 52 days because “the people had a mind to work” (Neh. 4:6).

2.    If anyone possessed faith, it was Jesus Christ.  Yet, it was Jesus who told His disciples:  “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day:  the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4).

3.    Galatians 5:6

 

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

 

C.   It is this thought that causes us to keep programs going that some believe to be ineffective:  Anthem Lakes devotionals, VBS, gospel meetings, etc.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   When we work, God works on our behalf.

 

B.   When we labor in prayer, God answers.

When we sow the seed of the kingdom, God brings the harvest.

When we renew our minds, God transforms our lives.

When we give, God opens the storehouse of heaven.

When our faith is put to work, God pours out his blessings.

 

C.   James 2:22

 

Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect.